When she joined the Blue Devils as a walk-on three years ago, Jenna Frush was an unheralded 5-foot-6 point guard who wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school.
Now, she’s a senior leader on scholarship for the No. 7 team in the country.
The Duke coaching staff rewarded Frush with a full scholarship for her final year on the squad. Despite a career average of just 2.5 minutes per game, the Durham native has proven that minutes on the court aren’t the only way to make an impact.
“It made perfect sense to give her that opportunity,” head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “She really is a glue person on the team—not afraid to say things and to lead.”
Frush walked onto the team in 2011 to join a recruiting class made up of Collegiate Girls Basketball Report’s No. 1 and No. 5 recruits Elizabeth Williams and Amber Henson, as well as Ka’lia Johnson, who set her high school’s career and single-season points records before graduating. But rather than being intimidated by the talented strangers, the then-freshman Frush contributed what her classmates did—hard work.
“When she came in, she had a lot of confidence,” Williams said. “Ever since the first time I met her, she was always really energetic. She realized early that anything she said—just because she’s working so hard—it makes an impact on us as players.”
Since the beginning of her time at Duke, Frush has not only dedicated herself to her sport but to academia as well. As a pre-med psychology major, the senior is on track to take the MCAT in April before applying to medical school. Frush has managed to integrate her athletic and student interests, twice being named to the ACC Honor Roll and participating with Williams in the College Athletic Pre-Medical Experience, or “CAPE.”
Both Frush and Williams cited the other as a major source of support through their challenging academic journeys.
“It’s hard to talk to people who aren’t in the organic chemistries about it, because they think we’re crazy for doing it—which we probably are,” Frush said. “Having [Williams] with me is something I wouldn’t trade, and hopefully I’ve given her a little bit of the support she’s given me.”
Along with supporting her fellow aspiring doctors, the vocal leader’s relationships with all of her teammates have defined her role on the team. Frush’s scholarship is a reflection of her holistic contribution to the team, not just the stat sheet.
“[McCallie] has made it clear to me that I’m here to be another set of eyes,” Frush said. “I participate in practice, but I also get to see a lot from the sidelines, so I’m the bridge between her and the players…. She’s put a lot of trust in me and my opinion and given me a lot of respect, which has been incredible.”
Considering her court sense and ability to give her teammates advice about any aspect of the game, it is hard to believe that basketball hasn’t always been Frush’s first choice for an athletic career.
“I liked soccer until I was a freshman in high school—it was my main sport,” Frush said. “My brother was the one who got me into basketball…. He had this incredible work ethic, and I remember I would go out with him before school and rebound for him. He’s been my role model since I was little, so I just always wanted to do everything he did.”
Just as she didn’t expect to fall in love with basketball, the walk-on also didn’t see herself playing the role of coach until she joined the squad.
Now, after working so diligently on the mental aspects of the game, Frush might have a new career to pursue along with her dream of being a doctor.
“Being here, [coaching] is definitely something I’ve thought about,” Frush said. “I just love the game—everything about it—and being a walk-on is kind of like coaching, so it’s given me a whole different insight into the game, which I’ve loved.”
After the graduation of four seniors from last season’s squad as well as the transfer of point guard Alexis Jones, this year’s Blue Devils must incorporate several new pieces. The squad returns just one starter and has added six players with no Division I regular season experience.
Frush is already looking for ways she can contribute without having to score points on the floor.
“We’re a young team, and we have a lot of room to grow,” Frush said. “One thing I can help the team with is just to continue growing and continue getting better. If that means I’m on the court, so be it, and if not, I’m going to do whatever I can to get us to the next level.”
As energetic in her fourth year as she was in her first, Frush has maintained the same perspective of her role on the team even after receiving her scholarship and is determined to continue the hard work that got her to this point.
“The scholarship is an incredible thing, but it’s just kind of an added bonus,” Frush said. “I know exactly what Coach wants me to do, and I just want to bring out the best in my teammates and—scholarship or not—I’m here for them and I’m here to help us win a national championship.”
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